Railway-torpedo machine.



No. 830,420. Y PATENTED SEPT. 4., 1906.

. F. BUTCHER. I

RAILWAY TORPEDO MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

$1 wahfo'c I J Witnesses i rusnonms PETERS coz, wasnmcrofl, o. c.

N0- 830,4 20. PATENTED SEPT. 4; 1906. F. BUTCHER.

RAILWAY TORPEDO MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.21, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. I

' UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' FRANK DUTCHER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA.

' RAILWAY-TORPEDO MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Application filed August 21, 1905. Serial No. 275,062.

citizen of the United States, residing at Versailles, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Railway-Torpedo Machines, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to improvements in railway-torpedo machines, theobject of which is to facilitate the connection of a railengagingmember' to the torpedo and to connect the two parts of the torpedo-casetogether, whereby time is saved and danger of ex loding the torpedoprevented.

nthe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machineembodying my invention, the torpedo being acted upon shown in position.Fig 2 is a top plan view, partially 1n section. Fig. 3 is an endelevation looking in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 2.

This machine is for use in connection with metallic torpedoes consistingof an outer case 1 and an inner case 2. The outer case is provided withprojecting ears 3, and the detonating material is placed between thesetwo cases. The cars 3 perform a double function. They serve to unite astrap 4 to the torpedo, by means of which the torpedo is connected tothe tread of a railroad-rail, and they also serve to unite and hold thetwo parts of the torpedo-case together.

Referring now to the machine for closing down the ears and holding thestrap 4 to the torpedo and connecting the two partsv of the casetogether, which constitutes my present invention, it is provided with arecess 5, in which the torpedo is placed, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.This recess constitutes a holder for the torpedo. Located at oppositesides of this holder are two oscillating presserarms 6, which arerespectively connected with oscillating shafts 7. Attached to theopposite ends of these shafts 7 are the intermeshing cog-segments 8,which serve to operatively connect the two shafts, and these segmentsare preferably attached to the shaft 7 b means of set-screws 9,whichwill enable the sl' iafts to be so adjusted in the segments thatthey will cooperate to simultaneously act upon the ears 3 at oppositesides of the torpedo for pressing them downward. Connected to one ofthese shafts 7 is a crank-arm 10, to the free end of which is connecteda rod 11. The opposite end of this rod 11 is connected with afoottreadle 12, having one end journaled in a suitable step 14, attachedto the floor. A spring 15 has its lower end connected to the treadle 12and its upper end connected with an adjustable bolt 16, which passesthrough a supporting-table 17, the latter being shown in dotted lines.This spring 15 by the adjusting-rod 16 can have its tension regulated asmay be desired.

It will be observed that the recess 5 of the holder is of a depthsubstantially equal to the thickness of the torpedo, whereby it is notpos sible to crush the torpedo by the presserarms 6 and cause anexplosion thereof. Furthermore, the spring 15 is adjusted at a tensionso that the operator cannot deliver a hammering blow to the torpedo.

In operation the torpedo is placed in the holder with the ears 3standing vertically, as shown in Fig. 3. The strap 4 is then placedbetween the cars. A downward pressure upon the treadle 12 closes theears downward, and the operation is complete.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A machine of the character described, comprising a torpedo-holderhaving a recess of a depth substantially equal to the depth of thetorpedo and a presser overlapping the holder to act on'the projectingparts of the torpedo, the presser limited in its downward movement bythe wall of the holder, for the purpose described.

2. A machine for the purpose described, comprising a base having atorpedo-holder, oscillating shafts located in parallel lines at oppositesides of the holder, one end of the shafts projecting at opposite sidesof the holder, and above and out of contact with the base, and carryingpresser-arms rojecting normally away from the hold er, and means foroscillating said shafts.

3. A machine of the character described, comprising a torpedo-holder,oscillating presser-arms located at opposite sides thereof and adaptedto overlap the holder, means operatively connecting the saidpresser-arms, a treadle operatively connected with one of thepresser-arms, and an adjustable spring operativel connected with thetreadle.

4. X machine of the character described, comprising a torpedo holder,oscillating shafts located in lines at o posite sides of the neously inopposite directions and the pressholder, the ends of the shafts adjacentthe er-arms moved over the holder. 1o holder provided withupwardly-extending In testimony whereof I aflix my signaturepresser-arms, supported to permit the pasin presence of two witnesses.

sage of a strap thereunder, the shafts provided FRANK DUTCHER. withinter-meshing gears, and means eonneot- Witnesses:

ed with one of the shafts for oscillating it, W. B. FELL,

whereby both shafts are oscillated simulta- W. D. MANSFIELD.

